CAG report will reveal truth: Kejriwal on discoms

Slamming power distribution firms for announcing power cuts on the plea of lack of funds, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday said the truth on their financial condition will come out in the CAG report on discoms.

"They (power companies) are saying that they don't have money, so where has their money gone. CAG is trying to find their money and the truth will come out in the CAG's report.

"After CAG's report, we will get to know whether they are really facing a financial crisis or not," Kejriwal told reporters.

Asked if the Delhi government would take action against discoms, which have announced 8-10 hour power cut effective from today, he said, "Let the CAG report come out and then we would proceed as per its findings."

Kejriwal had on Friday accused BSES discoms of trying to "blackmail" the government by threatening power cuts upto 10 hours a day, and warned them of strict action including possible cancellation of licenses.

The chief minister also said Tatas and Ambanis, who run three electricity distribution firms in Delhi, were not the only companies in the country and government was willing to bring in new players.

"There are no reasons for power cuts. I want to give them a warning that if they try to create panic in future, the government will take strict action against them," Kejriwal had said as Reliance Infra-backed BSES warned the government of 8-10 hours power cuts a day beginning on Saturday citing fund crunch.

Dismissing any valid reasons for such extreme steps, the chief minister said there were many question marks over the discoms account.

"They are not cooperating in CAG audit, which raises further suspicion. The government will not keep quite. The government will not hesitate in cancelling their licences," he had said.

Power tariff in the national capital was yesterday hiked by up to eight per cent by the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission.

Kejriwal government had condemned the regulator's decision to increase the tariff which will come into effect from Saturday. Before coming to power, AAP had promised that it would slash the rates of power for Delhiites but did so only in selected slabs.